Tan, Adam: Joy for Solo Marimba

Joy for Solo Marimba - 4 Min.; 4.3-Oktav-Marimba, 4 Schl.; mittelschwer

Youtube-Video

• “Life isn’t just doing things for yourself. It’s possible to live in such a way that other people’s happiness makes you happy too."
  - Asuna Yuuki (結城 明⽇奈), protagonist from Sword Art Online (ソードアート・オンライン) (2012)
  
  Joy takes some of the signature elements of my recent compositional style and transforms them into a simpler, groove-based piece.. Techniques and cues from my other pieces Honest, Summer from Simple Solos Vol. 1 [SEASONS], The Power Of Unity: Zodiac Story and Together appear regularly throughout this piece, albeit in a more entry-level style which will suit anyone who is new to my music and wants a simpler way to start.
  
  The background story of Joy comes from the warm feeling I feel when I remember the people who have supported me, such as my family, my friends, my teachers and mentors and even complete strangers who watch my content from around the world. I finished writing Joy in April 2024 after reminiscing the warm and loving feeling of playing concerts together with one of my alma mater percussion ensembles, Defying Gravity Percussion, as well as playing alongside my partner Machi Ishida in Japan just weeks before. These two events have been dreams of mine for many years now, and this work represents the joyful and grateful feelings that come from being close to those who care about you.
  
  Joy is written as the Compulsory Work for the finals of the Marimbafest 2024's A CLASS Solo category, marking my fourth Compulsory Work that I've written for the Marimbafest competitions of 2021, 2022, 2023 and now 2024. As the A CLASS Solo category has become more competitive and high level in recent years, Joy has a healthy balance of restricting the use of advanced level marimba skills (e.g. there are no big octave runs, difficult chorale passages or extended techniques), while also inserting subtle challenges occasionally to see how this year's participants will handle (e.g. lots of phrasing breaks, mini chorale roll at the end, wide distance between both hands).
  
  The key for Joy is to retain a feeling of groove and movement for most of the piece. Unlike many of my other 4.3 octave marimba solos, this work should evoke a feeling of excitement and energy throughout, with minimal rubato and espressivo sections.
  
  Joy was written for Marimbafest 2024's A CLASS Solo Category and was world premiered at Marimbafest 2024 by Adam Tan on 30th June 2024